Saturday, 31 December 2011

First name drawn by my DH was Siobhan from bluehenhollow (comment left 20/12/11 for post titled Top Ten Reasons Why Eve Was Created) and the second name was Margaret from daysofasamplerlover (comment left 18/12/11 for post titled The Road To Trewoon).

Congratulations, please could you email me your addresses and I will post your kits on Tuesday when the post office re-opens after the bank holiday.

I wish everyone could have won. Many, many thanks to all for participating. I will have another giveway before the end of January.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy New Year, may it bring you gifts of joy, health and happiness and lots of stitching time for you.

Progress on ATS has been slower the last two days due to family commitments. I am still enjoying the project, the colours are so vibrant that I look forward to seeing each figure/motif evolving as I stitch. I just love the fence below the bottomless men (!)

Last night my son Chris and his fiance Kate came to supper. It was a very enjoyable night and as we ate in the breakfast room the room was filled not only with the heat from the AGA but from the warmth of our love. I am sure that I am gaining a daughter not losing a son. 2012 is going to be an important year for them as they get married in April.

Handmade Decorative Books - Sue Roddis Search Press

I wanted to share with you another thoughtful present my DH gave me at Christmas (he did VERY well this year). It is a book about making decorative books by Sue Roddis.

Handmade Decorative Books - Sue Roddis Search Press

The projects and the finishing methods could so easily be used with to make embroidered fabric books.

Handmade Decorative Books - Sue Roddis Search Press

I must find some time between my BAP's to do one or two.

We welcomed a couple yesterday to The Chocolate Box who had come to Cornwall to celebrate their engagement and plan their wedding. It is so nice to think that they are here in one of our holiday cottages planning their future.

The Chocolate Box is such a romantic place to stay, just before Christmas Flavio proposed to Nicola in the cottage. We have one couple who regularly come to stay, they became engaged with us, honeymooned here and each year celebrate their anniversary in the cottage.

We welcome to Rest-a-Shore this afternoon a lady who has come to Cornwall to recuperate after an illness. The sea air will do her good.

This is the view from the bedroom window. It will be nice for her to rest in bed an enjoy looking down onto the cove.

Tonight I will be drawing two names from the "hat" for my giveaway so I am going to spend this afternoon printing off and folding the names ready for 11.00pm this evening.

Good luck to everyone I wish that you could all win.

I am so glad that I plucked up courage this year to start my own blog after following other blogs for nearly two years. It has given me a "boost" and added something special to my days. A big thank you to each and everyone of you who are following my posts and who take the time to comment.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born

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I had a shock this morning when I went to log into my Google account to find that access had been stopped and my blog removed !!!!

Upon investigation it appears that attempts had been made to access/hack my account. Full marks to Google's security that they picked this up before my password had been broken.

To access my account I needed a verification token that Google would text me. Unfortunately we don't get very good mobile phone reception in Cornwall and 7.15am found me hanging out of the bedroom window (in my bright red Christmas pjs) holding my phone up in the air trying to pick up reception. Thankfully it was still dark.

No token came through but I did pick up lots of other texts that had built up waiting for me to get a signal.

After reading Google's help section I filled out a security questionaire. It is important that you have an alternative email address as they email you a link when they are satisfied that you are the account holder.

There were lots of different questions - day, month and year you opened the account (the day and month were hard ones), the last five addresses you emailed (that was a hard one to, I knew who I had emailed but as I use my address book it wasn't easy to remember the exact addresses).

I must have got a few correct as quite quickly the link came through on my alternative email address. Phew !! great relief - I got back in to my account and my blog was back up.

Not the best way to start the day.

It did get better as the post man delivered another chart for my stash.

Thursday, 29 December 2011

I was very pleased with progress yesterday on ATS. I stitched throughout the afternoon and late into the evening as I listened to the BBC iplayer on my ipad (I still haven't found a good audio book, any recommendations will be appreciated). Without interruptions my needle flew. Ray cooked a curry from his new recipe book so I didn't even stop to cook.

To get around the threads that I am waiting on I substituted Cherry Bark with Claret (which I had in my stash) for the flowers on which the peacocks sit.

The peacocks are beautiful.

And They Sinned

This particular peacock reminded me of some gorgeous silk curtain fabric that my sister has in her home.

I have been so lucky this Christmas, my son and his fiance gave me the Marbek Nativity patterns.

Marbek Nativity

I am not sure how I will frame this yet but I will definitely use linen rather than aida. I understand that the frame that is sold for the pattern isn't glazed. I need to have a chat to my framers before I start to stitch it. I suppose the starting point will be where I want to display this.

It is so nice that it will be a shame to display it for just one month of the year. Maybe I will hang it on a wall for permanent view.

So many exciting projects I need more hours and hands to do them all!

The Kimono Revisited paperwork arrived today. Due to the difficulties in choosing threads via the internet and that mono canvas and congress cloth (other than in white or antique) doesn't seem to be readily available in the UK I have chosen to source by materials directly from John Waddell.

Unfortunately they won't be available for dispatch for a little time yet.

Kimono Revisited - John Waddell

Therefore, I have decided to wait until the materials are received before I start to delve into the file.

It's frustrating to see all the group emails coming in on this class and not being able to participate URRGH !!!

The weather is very grey and wintry today but I have consoled myself with the thought that God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.

Wednesday, 28 December 2011

I was thrilled to open my Christmas present from my husband. He does listen to my chatter about needlework after all.

I have been fancying this chest for ages but have previously only ever seen it sold filled with threads (I didn't want all those DMC threads) but luckily Sew and So sell the chest without the threads. This is the bestiest Christmas present ever. Thank you Ray xxxxxxxxx.

We have had a very hectic few days and have managed to fit in so much. Christmas morning and lunch with my son, his fiance and her parents. We had a wonderful time and a scrumptious traditional lunch.

Then we travelled to Wales to stay with my youngest sister in Monmouth. We were quite a house full. Mum, Dad, my two sisters and their husbands and children. It was so nice to all be together to celebrate Christmas. As we have gotten older and our families have grown it has not always been easy to be together especially when we live so far apart.

My youngest sister is very creative and had the most gorgeous Christmas decorations. My head is buzzing with idea for next Christmas.

I have never seen Christmas themed chair back covers before. They were adorable. They would be so easy to make, you could have Father and Mother Christmas, Santa's little helpers, snowmen, the possibilities are endless and could be personalised for the family member who sits in the chair.

I would like to make a wall hanging like this for next year. It would be a great way to use up scraps of material as well.

The Christmas stockings were amazing.

As were her cushions

Whilst staying in Wales we also visited my MIL and SIL and my SD and GCs. It was wonderful to see them. Talking on the telephone can never replace seeing and hugging them.

It has been strange not stitching for a few days. Before, I went away I took this photograph of ATS.

And They Sinned

I have run out of Cherry Bark. My back order of threads are somewhere in transit between the UK store and the States. I am worried that I may make a counting mistake with having so many gaps.

It will be good to stitch again today once I have caught up with my chores.

Christmas is now as far away as ever, we will remember 2011 as a special one filled with love, laughter and too much food and chocolates. .

Saturday, 24 December 2011

I hope you all have a blessed and joyous Christmas, may it be filled with love, laughter, and a bit of festive cheer.

Christmas 2007
Cassie, Chris (my son), Blue, Poppy & Millie

Christmas is a time to celebrate but for me it is also a time that I like to remember Christmases past so I thought that I would post a photograph from Christmas 2007. My darling Millie is no longer with us but still very much in our hearts.

What a busy day Christmas Eve is for us at Trewoon. It is my husband's birthday, 64 today, and our wedding anniversary. We can never remember exactly how many years we have been married but it is 20 something. I know that it may seem bizarre but the number of years have never been important to us, life began when we met. We lived together for a few years first then had a very low key wedding in the Snowflake Inn in Stowe, Vermont on a skiing holiday.

Snowflake Inn, Stowe, Vermont

We have had lots of visitors today but we did manage to go for a long walk with Blue and Poppy.

Friday, 23 December 2011

ATS is progressing nicely and I am now on Page 2 of the chart. I am still waiting for three thread colours to arrive but that will not be until after Christmas. I had some of the Shutter Green in my stash but I have now exhausted that so the grassy mount is looking a bit bare.

I am enjoying the colours. The peacock blue that I used last night is gorgeous.

And They Sinned

When stitching a sampler I like to discover the meaning behind the figures. The symbolism of Peacocks is very interesting.

In general, the Peacock is representative of glory, immortality, royalty, and incorruptibility. It is a possessor of some of the most admired human characteristics, and is a symbol of integrity and the beauty that can be achieved when we endeavour to better ourselves and better our lives.

In history, myth, legend & lore, the peacock is considered an emblem of protection, nobility, watchfulness, guidance, and holiness.

In Christianity the peacock represents the “all-seeing” church and the holiness & sanctity associated with it. Additionally, the peacock represents resurrection, renewal and immortality within the spiritual teachings of Christianity.

It has been a busy day at Poldhu today. We have visitors arriving at Rest-a-Shore and The Chocolate Box for the Christmas break but our preparation work is now finished and we are looking forward to welcoming our guests.

I would like to share with you some more photographs that I have received from John Wright, a very gifted amateur photographer who holidays in our cottages.

Ann Medd has been purchased although I will have to wait on delivery as the store has to order the kit from the States. It is such a beautiful sampler that I have decided to push the boat out and to use silk as opposed to cotton floss.

Thank you again Margaret and Laurie for recommending this sampler to me. I know that I will have many hours of pleasure stitching it and hopefully many years of enjoying looking at it on the walls of my home. It is definitely not one to give away.

Click to visit Hands Across the Sea Samplers

About Me

A needlework designer at Hands Across the Sea Samplers - I live with my husband and boxer dog Blue, in a beautiful cove on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, UK. I enjoy all forms of needlework and take inspiration from the views and sounds of the sea.
You can come and holiday with me at seasidecottagescornwall.co.uk